Unity in Diversity, Catholic Identity Key to U.S. Church Future

Bishops, 300 leaders to meet at Notre Dame May 6-8
Catholic identity, cultural competency main topics of Convocation

WASHINGTON—Building unity in diversity and linking it to a robust sense of Catholic identity for the sake of the Church’s future is the topic of the Catholic Cultural Diversity Network Convocation (CCDNC) that will meet later this week at the University of Notre Dame.
           
This event convenes a diverse selection of leaders from every culture, ethnicity and race present in the U.S. Church to dialogue within their respective groups and with the broader assembly. It also provides a unique opportunity to dialogue with the U.S. bishops in the pursuit of an ever more Catholic vision for the Church in the 21st Century.
           
“Intercultural communication and relationships are more important than ever for the Church in our country,” said Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, executive director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
           
“Today these relationships provide a key for the Church's growth and vitality as one Body in Christ. Together with the bishops, these leaders are invited to reflect and act upon the challenges and blessings that diversity affords the Church in our times,” Father Deck said.
           
The Catholic Church is already the nation’s largest religious body with more than 68.5 million Catholics, according to the latest numbers from the Official Catholic Directory.
           
To attend as media or arrange for interviews with bishops and other participants in the Catholic Cultural Diversity Network Convocation, please contact Mar Muñoz-Visoso at mmunoz-visoso@usccb.org or 301-646-8616.